08.26.19: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance

When the Associated Press college football writers’ poll came out last week – again, based on nothing except expectations and brand recognition, and a Top 25 that will not have any affect on eventual decisions based on bowl game selection when it’s said and done – USC and UCLA combined for one total vote.
The Trojans got that one vote, from blogger in Reno, and made it into the list, at the end, among the “Others Receiving Votes” category.
If there’s anything to it, Fresno State, the Trojans’ opponent in their opener at the Coliseum – Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN, with Jason Benetti, Rod Gilmore and not Bill Walton – got eight votes.
As for UCLA, which had no AP preseason poll votes: It opening opponent, Cincinnati, had 16 votes prior to this first matchup in Ohio (Thursday, 4 p.m., ESPN, Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck, Pat McAfee).
If we’re still counting, the Pac-12 had no team in the AP Top 10. Oregon (11), Washington (13), Utah (14), Washington State (23) and Stanford (25) kind of sums up the listings of the logos at this juncture. And Arizona already at this point has one loss, in Hawaii.
In the inaugural coaches’ poll – again, a complete crapshoot because we’re not even sure who fills out those ballots that also mean nothing of consequence – the Trojans had 47 also-ran mentions, and UCLA had two.
Is that enough to set your expectations low enough? Check back in December to see how this turns out.
The rest of the final week of August and first day of September on Labor Day weekend includes the Dodgers in San Diego and Arizona, with the Angels inviting the Red Sox in for a BBQ; the U.S. Open tennis launch, more MLS and WNBA and … what more do you need? It’s here.